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Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins could leave the club before the transfer window closes, with manager Unai Emery admitting he cannot guarantee the England international will remain at Villa Park.
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The 30-year-old is attracting interest from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, who have already made offers for the striker.
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Watkins’ potential departure would represent another major blow for Villa after a summer of significant changes to the squad that helped the club win the Europa League last season.
August 21, (THEWILL) — Villa have already seen Ezri Konsa agree a £51m move to Arsenal, while Morgan Rogers joined Chelsea for a club-record £117m. Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne have also departed.
Emery would prefer to keep Watkins but acknowledged that circumstances could change before the transfer deadline.
“We have an issue with him, it’s clear. He is our player. We have had offers for him,” Emery said.
“I don’t want to sell him but it can change because if it’s a good option for him and the club and I can replace him in the squad, this is the routine we have and we did before with the players who are leaving.”
Watkins has established himself as one of Villa’s most important attacking players since arriving from Brentford for £28m in 2020.
He has scored 108 goals for the club and is Villa’s record Premier League goalscorer. Last season, he scored 21 goals as Emery’s side enjoyed a memorable campaign that culminated in Europa League success.
Emery insists Watkins remains fully committed to the club for now and expects him to continue performing if he stays.
“With Ollie, he is here, for me he is a fantastic striker, we have always believed in him,” the Villa manager added.
“Now he is our player, there are 10 days more or less to finish the transfer window, we will see what happens.”
However, if Watkins and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez both leave, Villa will have lost six members of the starting XI that lifted the Europa League trophy only two months ago.
Martinez’s proposed move to Juventus has already collapsed after the clubs failed to agree a transfer fee, although his future remains uncertain.
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Villa have prepared for the possibility of losing their goalkeeper by signing Japan international Zion Suzuki from Parma for £30m.
Suzuki is expected to start Villa’s Premier League opener against Brighton on Sunday, with Martinez unavailable after only returning from his post-World Cup break and completing one training session.
Emery explained that Martinez had previously indicated his desire to consider another challenge in his career.
“Martinez transmitted to us the possibility to have another challenge in his career,” Emery said.
“Even last year, he was thinking in case he can have one possibility to change for his challenges.”
Villa’s decision to sign Suzuki was therefore made with both the present and the future in mind.
“We decided to sign Suzuki because I think he’s a fantastic goalkeeper,” Emery added.
While Martinez’s situation remains unresolved, the bigger immediate concern for Villa could now be Watkins.
Losing their leading Premier League goalscorer alongside several other key players would leave Emery with significant rebuilding work as Villa attempt to compete domestically and in the Champions League.
With the transfer deadline approaching, Watkins’ future is therefore another major storyline to watch as Villa’s reshaped squad begins a new Premier League campaign.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
